I don't know love, but I know you
by Moltie
Summary: It's not always easy to be a demigod, and not when feelings change and you don't know how to handle it.
1. Chapter 1

He had just gotten up from standing on his knees at the lake, splashing some cold lake water in his face so his eyes would wake up, when he noticed his reflection wasn't the only one staring back at him.

"Hi Percy."

He got to his feet quicker than he would have if he was alone, and stared into the green eyes of the son of the sea god. "Fancy meeting you here. I guess."

"What's up Nico?" Percy gazed over the lake and then met Nico's eyes. "It's not the first place I would except to see you in. How's Hades nowadays?"

"Oh you know." Nico shrugged. "The usual." He decided it was not a conversation he wanted to have right now.

"Like everything."

Percy sat down in the cold grass, letting his feet touch the water in the lake. He could, Nico thought to himself. If it was himself doing that he would be cold and sick within minutes. But of course the sea god's son could do anything including water without getting sick. What a prat.

"What do you mean? Everything?"

"It's just so boring now. Not that I complain, it's good not having monsters chase after you every single minute of the day…" Percy grinned. "… But I still miss it. Sometimes. You know. At least, life was never boring back then."

"Life is boring now?" Nico took a look down the lake, noticing how dark it was getting. "I don't know. Life never gets boring to me."

"It's because you live with the dead." Percy gave him one of those looks. "Try living with new campers."

Nico grinned back.

"You're such a jerk Percy."

"Am not."

"Am too. I thought you would've grown out of it by now. Or that Clarisse would've beaten it out of you. I guess I was wrong."

Percy shook his dark hair out of his eyes and stood up again. He smiled gently.

"Oh you should take that back, or else."

"Or else what? You gonna fight me?"

"Well…" Percy grinned. "It's been a while since I had a decent fight."

"Oh. But a fight between you and me wouldn't be that decent." Nico tried to cover up a huge grin. "You know I would kick your ass."

"Dream on. While you've been playing with the dead I've been training with demigods. You're going down."

"I thought you said they were a pain."

"Oh they are. But still good for your sword arm, you know."

Nico looked into Percy's eyes. He looked dead serious about having a fight but he could still see a playful spark in all that green. Nico didn't know what to make of that.

"Well I'm not gonna fight you here. All this water? No way. You would so cheat."

"Nico!" Percy tried to look shocked. "You know I would never cheat. I'm better than that."

"Oh sure." Nico shook his head. "Don't you remember that time when…"

Before he could finish the sentence Percy had attacked, striking so hard Nico fell to the ground, mostly because of shock of the sudden movement.

"Don't talk about stuff like that, it's all old." Percy grinned. "Now, you gonna get to your feet or just lay there all day?"

As quickly as he could, Nico got up, feeling his pride sort of hurt in one way. He gave Percy a dark look, and then reached for his sword.

"You'll spend a lifetime regretting that."

"I highly doubt it. Now come on, dead boy."

He attacked. Nico was surprised how easy the fight came to him, all his reflexes was still on top, even though it had been a long time since he last fought someone, at least someone as well trained as Percy. He was careful not to let Percy have access to the water. The fight was playful but he could feel with every strike, it got more intense.

"I can see the Underworld does give you some training." Percy grinned and took some deep breaths. "You're not half bad, actually."

"You're just mad because I'm gonna kick your ass. Starting… now." Before Percy could react Nico jumped and they both fell to the ground, the swords were tossed aside and they were wrestling in the cold grass. Nico couldn't tell who was winning. He wanted to believe he was, but as the thought crossed his mind Percy had gotten hold of his arms and Nico found himself on his back again, Percy holding him down with unbelievable strength.

"Hey now you're cheating again!"

"I'm not! Why would I have to cheat when I can beat you in a second?"

Nico muttered something.

"Whatever. Can you let go of me now?"

Percy looked stunned as if he for a moment didn't realize he was still holding him down, and then he let go of the grip he had around Nico's wrists.

"Oh. Sure."

Nico sat up, slowly. He watched Percy carefully, as if he just waited for a reason to attack him once again. Percy just sat there though, staring.

"Is something wrong?" Nico didn't know what to do, since Percy seemed to have wandered into a world of his mind that was not a part of the one he was currently involved in. Nico got the sudden urge to touch his cheek, just to get some sort of reaction but he figured it was the wrong time and place.

_And why would he want to do that in the first place?_

Nico got up, while Percy was still sitting there like a piece of wood, or something else that wouldn't move that much. Nico coughed.

"Well I should leave. Things to do, places to go, you know the drill right?"

He knew he sounded pathetic. He just didn't know how to handle this situation. Suddenly Percy looked up at him. He looked dazzled.

"Oh you're right. Of course. I should get going too obviously, since I'm late and… Well I'm late. Catch you later Nico."

And he was gone. All Nico could do was stand there, looking after the boy he thought he knew but somehow had just turned his whole world upside down.


	2. Chapter 2

Pathetic. That's all he could think about. How fucking pathetic he was. Percy slammed his fist in the wall, like he was suddenly blaming the wall for all his issues and then stood for a couple of minutes watching his hand get red, and then blue, while the tears blurred his vision. This wasn't him. This wasn't how he should behave, dammit, he'd never felt like this before and he sure as hell hadn't acted like he did now. He got the urge to slam his fist in the wall again but he ignored it, and instead sat down on the floor, hiding his face in his hands. Pathetic.

He knew that it had been a mistake the moment he had walked into the woods, trying to find him. He should've just stayed away, listen to that voice in his head that said no, don't go in there. Don't screw your life up.

But of course he didn't. Percy sighed. And here he was. Feeling the world collapsing around him.

"Dad, have you ever had love problems?"

The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them. For a moment Nico felt like running away, ashamed over the fact he had just asked something so personal. But he stood still, as Hades watched him carefully.

"How do you mean, love problems?"

"Oh you know." Now what would he say? "When you're not really sure… How to feel. Or what other people think about you. Or in what way… You know… They like you…"

Hades watched his son carefully and puzzled, like if he didn't know where all this came from.

"Is it Poseidon's boy?"

Nico thought he would fall to the ground, he was so in shock.

"How did you know? I mean… No…"

Hades chuckled. Nico had never heard his father chuckle before, and it almost scared him a little since the sound wasn't one you expect coming out from the mouth of the death god. It was almost as scary as the fact that he had just admitted something was going on with Percy.

"We all know something is going on, Nico. And honestly, I think you should talk to him. I'm not saying that I'm completely okay with all this, it's Poseidon's boy after all, but as long as you're…"

"Don't say happy." Nico cut off his father. "Don't say a thing. Nothing is going on. Everything is just the way it was before. Nothing is going on, okay?"

And he ran out from the room, still listening to the sound of his father chuckle behind his back.

"It's wrong. I don't love him. I'm not even interested. _It's not love_."

"He doesn't want me. We're friends. It's not like that. _It's definitely not love_."

Nico was running down the streets, as if he were trying to get away from something that followed him, even though he knew that it would catch up with him sooner or later. Instead he found himself running almost in circles around the block, and without knowing it he always ended up with standing outside the apartment he knew was Percy's, when Percy wasn't at camp half-blood, or on some other mission he didn't know about. He sighed and tried to catch his breath, leaning against one of the big trees that were conveniently growing there. He felt like his insides were dying. He wanted to punch Percy for having the world feel like this, Nico had never been this confused and he had never been so mad.

"How come I always find you close to trees?"

Nico froze when he heard the voice. He started on the ground, very carefully avoiding looking up at Percy.

"Go away"

"You think I'm happy about this?"

"I don't know what you feel. I don't know a thing about you. You're a bloody mystery aren't you?" Nico didn't know why he was so mad, but anger just built up inside of him and he couldn't stop it. Even though he couldn't see it, he could tell what look Percy had right now. It stung in his heart. Percy grabbed his arm.

"You're the mystery. You're the one doing this."

"Let me go. I'm not doing anything. You started it."

Nico tried to push Percy away but it was as if something was stopping him, and it was not Percy, it was himself. Percy got another grip of Nico's wrist.

"I didn't want it to be like this. I didn't want… I can't help it."

"I just…"

Nico didn't know what to say. Or do. The world was blurry, he tried to think of something to say or even better, get away from there but the more he tried, the closer he seemed to get to Percy. He could feel his body heat and it felt like nothing was more right than getting even closer than he already was, like he needed it. He craved it. Percy breathed heavily.

"I know it's wrong. Don't you think I know how wrong this is? But I don't…"

"Shut up." Nico didn't know what controlled his body right now but something was making him bite Percy's bottom lip. And then he kissed him. Slowly, but as Percy caught up in the kiss, it got intense, almost wild. "You started it and you better finish it, you prat." He could see Percy smirking.

"Just don't regret it."

The bright sunlight woke Nico up. At first he didn't realize where he was, and his whole body was aching. He looked to the side and his heart almost jumped out of his body when he spotted Percy lying there, right next to him, so close that he could touch him with his finger tips if he wanted to. Percy was still sleeping, breathing slowly and Nico just wanted to explode from the vision. He could still taste him. He never knew that the wrong thing could taste so sweet, like nothing he had ever tasted before. He knew that maybe it wasn't wise, or maybe not good for any of them but Nico couldn't care less. He fought the thought to kiss Percy's neck, and instead fell back to the pillows of Percy's bed, looking at Percy sleeping, wishing he could stop time right there, right now.


End file.
